Vigan On My Mind
What to do in Vigan:
1. Drive! - If you like long, relaxing drives, this is for you. The trip from Manila took us almost 9 hours. We left Quezon Ave at around 5am, and got to Vigan at 2pm. The roads were really nice, from the paved NLEX to the nice, scenic ones that start in La Union. You literally drive by the shore and some really nice bridges!
Of course, we had a couple of rest stops. First was Starbucks at Hacienda Luisita Mall in Tarlac, and the Caltex station at La Union, which surprisingly served Baguio Country Club pastries such as their famed Banana Bread. Also worth a stop is the Little Surf Maid Beach Resort, to see surfboarders in their natural habitat and also to sample German food prepared by an actual German chef (the resort is Dutch-owned)!
2. Stay at Vigan Plaza Hotel - The location, just beside the town plaza, and where Calle Crisologo starts, can't be beat. I think this is the nicest hotel in the city, because we went to the others and they looked either too dilapidated or too kitschy. The room we got went for 3,300/night, and had two king size beds + 2 free breakfasts. It is also where Vigan's best (only?) watering hole, Sitio Bar, is located. Happy Hour till 8pm buys you 6 beers for 150 - CHEAP!
3. Explore old houses turned into museums - We visited the National Museum, which was the house of Father Burgos of Gomburza fame. This will give you a good taste of how life was during the Spanish rule. We also went to the Crisologo House, and here you'll get a glimpse of Ilocano politics which is kinda violent. We didn't have time to visit President Quirino's house though.
4. Visit Baluarte for a taste of the bizarre - This place is simply a showcase of how rich former Gov Chavit Singson is. Totally free to the public, this place has an amazing showcase of tigers, wild deer, ostriches (!), small horses and other exotic animals. We were lucky enough to go up to his actual house, pretending to be part of a tour group, where we saw Chavit in the flesh.
5. Visit old churches and bell towers - The Vigan Cathedral is nice, but the one in Bantay (10 mins drive from the city) is even nicer. Go up the bell tower and you'll be rewarded with a nice aerial view of Vigan/Bantay and a cemetery.
6. EAT! - Have your fill of yummy Ilocano delicacies. Must tries include Bagnet (a burnt version of Lechon Kawali best dipped with bagoong, tomatoes and onions); Vigan Longganisa (which is small and pudgy); and Ilocos chicharon (a blander, less oily cornick which goes great with SMB).
This is the only place Max's serves Bagnet and Vigan Longganisa. Cafe Leona's wood-fired pizzas are also fantastic and really unique (we tried the Longganisa deluxe and one with Bonito flakes!), and their wine selection is also good. Cafe Uno's cakes are passable, but their food is also very good. The halo halo at Hidden Garden is a nice way to cool down after looking at the nice plants.
Places Not Worth Your Time:
1. Mira Hills Tourist Park - has a small pool, and a very small excuse for a park. I don't understand why the Spanish even bothered building this.
2. Playa de Oro Beach Resort - Ugly sand, ugly beach. It didn't help that there was a huge bulldozer right in the middle of the sand. But it was a thrill to drive my car through an actual airplane runway, which is the only way to get to the beach. As in, look to your left and right for airplanes that might take off/land!